I deal with them like I deal with all unwanted attention from men anywhere.

I drop one each of an ex lax, viagra, and valium into their drink when they aren't looking.

Seriously, much like you did. If I need help, or see someone from whom I want advice, I will ask at an appropriate time. I don't like anyone who acts like that guy does.

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Soli Deo Gloria

TRUE ! tea is good

I've never been approached by one but if I was, I would wait until they make a really stupid statement, act like I'm listening to something, look at them wide eyed and say slowly, "the voices in my head don't agree with you."

CW

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μολὼν λαβέ

I fear the inevitable day when the U.S. Forest Service closes my favorite area to target shooting and I'm forced to shoot at the range.

This is me giving you a standing ovation! Bravo! BRAVO!!!

Heck...i feel like ive got a weight off my chest and i wasnt even there!

I like to think that I have mastered the Fine Art of Tuning Out and as long as people are polite, I can put up with them, it's the curmudgeons-the arrogant conceited know it alls who are usually bad mannered and foulmouthed to boot
who really aggravate me.

I often shoot on Mondays and usually have the range to myself then.
Haven't run across too many "range lizards" like those described
above.

Have seen range deer, red squirrels, geese, ducks (one mallard swimming near the 25 yard backstop in a wet spring). Also sandhill cranes flying over.

There must have been a range bear for a while a few years ago.
There were tracks, and other evidence, but I never saw the critter.
That was OK with me. He probably would have given bad advice...

Those that can, do and those that can't, teach. Unfortunately there are also those that can't that think they can teach even though they have no idea what they're talking about.
I think he was being rude by coming up to you and blithering like an idiot, he got what he deserved.

They're not lizards. They're alligators.
All mouth and no ears.

I belong to a shooting range that is also open to the public and can get over 200 people on a weekend. so as you can imagine you get plenty of free advice givers but likely have more good encounters and talks than bad ones. mostly I try to avoid getting shot by people handling guns behind me or getting swept. the other day I had to point the range officer in the direction of a Mr Macho with a black plastic hi cap 45 that he is letting his trophy babe shoot. now it's quite obvious she has never fired a gun before and scared to death of it and only shooting to massage the guys ego. she barely has 2 fingers on the grip, way low to boot, standing app 3 feet behind the bench and behind those shooting next to her, her face twisted with fear and turned away from the target and I think her eyes may have been closed. I nod to the range officer I know well and nod at her and say either she is gonna drop that gun, or shoot the guy next to her. could you tell her to keep her sweater stretchers over the bench, load only 1 round and keep it pointed in a safe direction. he took 1 look and ran over to intervene. later during a cease fire I offered the boyfriend a chance to teach her with a 22 revolver I will let them use + ammo as she looks a little afraid of that 45. he give me a kind of myob look and turns away. I get asked all the time by people to take them, their kids,wife etc that have never shot to the range. I'ved payed my dues with tyro's and now say sure right after you/they complete some type of gun safety/training class. that's the last I ever hear of them.

"So have you all ever been attacked by a "range lizard" and how do you get rid of him?"

I do not communicate with or acknowledge the interloper.

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There's nowt so queer as folk

Earplugs, tap your ear plugs and smile like Jack Nicholson in the shining.

Range lizards don't like loud noise, muzzle blast, or accurate shots. I seldom have to fire more than 2 rounds from my XP-100 (223 Remington) loaded with rifle ammo.

The fireball rolling down range is about 2' in diameter, and it will easily shoot 1.3" groups at a 100 yards with any ammo. OH! you weren't wearing your earplugs and ear muffs, "Sorry about that" .

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S&WHF 366

Range cougar -- that's what got me -- she slunk up behind me, purred in my right ear - something about putting leopard print grips on my Springfield XDM, then playfully swatted me on the rump and bounded off.

When I finished shooting and got ready to leave the range, I discovered that she had made off with my ham sandwich and my Platinum AMEX card.

I sure miss my ham sandwich.

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Gunner, Sabot Up!

This thread brings back old memories.

we have range dear, very rude ,they walk right out in the end of the bay when you are shooting sometimes .they dont talk much though.
if someone wants to give me advice i will usually listen and thank them ,i might even try what they suggest.
if i dont like them, ill out shoot them and be very vocal about it its just not in me to hurt someone's feelings unnecessarily...unless they got it coming

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the rules? there are no rules

There's always one. I tend to be very curt and factual and am then left alone.

The ones I hate are the Club Line Lizards with the golf carts or ATV's. I once had to chase one away from my bench by throwing empty steel 7.62 x 39 cases at him...

Got my vote - I won't bother you at the range if I see you either!!

Pete

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Don't tread on me

my worst encounter was not with another shooter but with a range "officer/employee". the Calverton range LI, NY app 1996.it was basiclly just a sand pit, no tables/benches or seats for rifle. an old drunk in a station wagon full of empty beer cans collecting 10$ a head and way too full of advice. there were a bunch of 5 gal plastic buckets that I figured were intended to be seats, but all had at least 100 bullet holes in them and could no longer in any way be sat on. so as there were no target frames I taped a target to one of these buckets and started shooting. now I'm the only one there and the station wagon comes roaring down in a cloud of dust, the old r/o gets out storms up to me shaking and red faced he is so angry and starts cursing me and my Momma. now maybe he was somebody back in the day, but on this day he was a foul mouthed drunk and that wasn't the smartest way to approach an armed stranger imo. out of respect for his age I didn't hurt him, but simply said (not asked) give me my 10$ back I will leave and you will be able to walk away and not have to gum your food. he did and I left without any violence. had he approached me differently I would have apologized and offered to buy his sieve of a beloved bucket. amazing he had lived that long acting like that.

One thing nice about belonging to an actual club, the members are friendly for the most part. I often get other people looking at the pack of guns I have with me. They may be shooting plastic but like the iron too. I hate know-it-alls in any subject.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

I'm lucky, I guess. We rotate what we take to the range. the wife practices with her Bersa and her Vaqueros (for SASS). Largely with the .22 versions, followed by appropriate loads. Mostly, I'll take my "shooters"==the fun guns. You know, the 1886 with BP loads, the 1917's ==maybe all three (soon to be 4): the Colt, S & W and Enfield, together with the '03. Or a Bisley in 41 LC.

Nobody seems to want to talk to the (youthful thinking) old coot. If I have the bear loads in my Blackhawks or my ported 454, it does get kinda quiet.

I hate know-it-alls because I already know it all. Take my advice. I'm not using it.

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Just pretend this is witty.

Uhhh...Bob...you just might want to rephrase that...

I've had more run-ins with the gun store sub-species. Usually kids who watch too much television and over-indulge in video games. My preference for revolvers is considered ludicrous. I told one that I prefer them because they don't throw brass for the CSI people to pick up at the crime scene, and he edged away.

"Magnetic declination" and "the importance of correct feng shui in shooting" are also good tools in the process of dazzling idiots with one's vast knowledge. So is "Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the Voices."

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Oh well, what the hell.

I had some know-it-all, bozo at the bowling alley tell me after I left a 7 pin on a ringing pocket hit that "that pin only tipped 8-1/2 degrees and as you know a pin needs to lean 9 degree to fall over". Without missing a beat I said..."I like you. Whaddaya say we get a few cocktails after we finish and see how things go"?

End of problem! He never, I mean ever, made eye contact with me or spoke to me again. He'd turn and walk away every time I was near him.

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paws for friendship

You know it alls are a real pain to us that do know everything

I can find a lot of amusement with know it alls. I just can't get mad when some bonehead is spouting stupid things.
What bothers me is someohne violating the basic safety rules putting my life at risk. I allways check the ceiling & other non
target areas for bullet holes. I like to think that gives me an
Idea of the overall quality of the other range users.

"Do the voices in my head bother you?"

Gets rid of them every time...

Cap, interesting choice of drugs. Rather than say what the results would be I'll just leave it as is. Frank

Nachogrande, ah another ex yankee from Long Island NY. Used to shoot at the Calverton range many years ago. Back then they actually had target frames and some of the buckets didn't have bullet holes in them. Had some good times out at the sandpits.

I dismiss a range lizard with "Yes. Thank you." Then I ignore any further talk. It is not worth my time to get even slightly irritated.

I do enjoy other shooters asking me about the guns I have. and I always let them try a few shots.

Here in SW Indiana we have range lizards and brass bandits.
Sometimes you can't even get out of your station without tripping over someone picking up brass. Jeez.

I usually wear something indicating I'm a Vietnam Vet, and since "everyone knows" we're right on the edge, no one bothers me.

I have several legally registered full-automatic weapons and it never fails when I'm at the range shooting, someone comes up to me tells that that it is against the law to own machine guns. I've gotten tired of trying to explain about the process of legally acquiring and owning full-automatic weapons. I just say to guy, "Yes isn't it fun breaking the law and would you like to be part of it too?" They usually rapidly leave the area.

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Bill

Never met a range lizard, but have arrested a few lot lizards and blown off my share of gun store geckos. :-)

Why not challange him for a duell

No.. not a real one obviously

But a shoot out in front of every one there, like..
Bowlingpin is fun, and i have seen folks empty their Glock's in under 3sek
without hitting anything, quite stressfull

When we lived in SoCal, there were fewer and fewer places to just plink. The Nat'l Forest kept closing more and more for trash and safety issues. Our favorite for a long time was a canyon with a road on one side and the other side was used as a back drop. Usually, it was too dangerous to set up targets, so we just shot at whatever litter was already there (punctured cans, small bushes, etc). You couldn't PAY me to go downrange. One day a group of ethnic people squeezed in between is and the next car. Mall Rats==dressed in green camo (not much green in SoCal in the summer), Ranger hats, shoulder holster, the whole nine yards. They immediately ran downrange and set up an old TV, lamps, etc. (without waiting for the range to be safe). One had an H & K and to cock it. he had to set the butt on the ground and "kick-start" it like a motorcycle.

After a few minutes of spray and pray, they still hadn't hit anything but the mountain behind the targets. I decided it was time to put some cold water on them: I got out my Ruger Tropical in 458 Win Mag. One round and silence spread over the informal range and then they started gibbering among themselves. Two rounds and they shut up. During this lull, I went downrange and put up a half dozen 12 ga hulls on top of their TV. Came back and shot all of them off at 50 yards with my scoped Contender in 223. (BTW: The guys on both sides were experienced shooters and knew range safety, as did my brothers and I).

Fun experiences but I prefer it here in the NW, even with 15" of snow on the ground right now!

I suppose shooting these range critters is a little extreme...yet

Wonder if the original OP's lizard still haunts the range almost 5 years after the posting?

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No good deed goes unpunished.

I've had one or two offer me shootin advice like that...I just reply that,

I'd really like shootin' for money, if ya got a few Benjamin Franklins,
we both can get a really good shooting lesson right here.


.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I like the guy who drives up to the next bay (our club has 4 50yd pistol/rimfire bays) unloads about 20 different guns on the picnic table behind the shooting bench (not a one in a condition TTSH would buy) .... then walks over (15-20 yds) and asks "what are you shooting"...... you know he just wants you to ask him the same question.........

If I'm shooting a Beretta most RL's recognize them.......... but almost any full size 3rd gen S&W......."What is that?? where can I get one?"

I could have sold a million 3913/14/NLs over the years.....on looks alone!!!!

Usually I can figger 'em out, but that one is throwin' me.

Those That something-or-other Here?

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I always take precautions

My range has suites for rent. Walk in with your party and close the door...they're lizard proof.

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I'm Proud To Be An American!

TTSH a member here..... currently has a thread going on buy... used and abused guns!

I would not be surprise to learn that there is some kind of secret or unspoken rule that every public range has to have at least one of these clowns. And a nation wide organization the assigns them to ranges in their area.

I think you handled yours just about right. I don't get to rough but I do suggest in unmistakable language that they move along and tend their own business.

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Real men love cats!

The heck with "muscle memory", I need "brain memory".

Unfortunately, buying a gun does not change a stupid person into an intelligent person or a jerk into a nice guy. I wish it did, but is does not. So don’t expect the lounge lizard in the green plaid coat to act any different on the gun range than he did in the lounge.

And truth be known, they rarely attack anyone, they just annoy you to death.

I don't remember anyone at the Club criticizing my shooting or guns. But there are a few guys who feel compelled to brag on themselves and criticize others. It's sooooooo boring.

Last spring I was at the pistol range checking out a new to me mdl 10-6 intended for steel challenge & bowling pins with my usual 38 specials of 2.8 gr's of bullseye and a 148 gr double ended wad cutter (dewc for short) seated flush. Well the RL actually knew what a wad cutter was but for some reason was so astonished that he ran up and down the firing line like Paul Revere announcing to every single person + the RO's that I was using wad cutters,"HE'S USING WAD CUTTERS, HE'S USING WAD CUTTERS", NA NA NA NANA. I just had to laugh. Oh yeah I was using the heck out of them missing very few used shotgun shells and turning small broken pieces of clay pigeons to dust at 10 yards offhand, which just made my first time using the gun that much sweeter. Thanks RL you made my day.

Try being the Chief Range Officer on the firing line during Hunter Sight In Days....My oh My, do you see and hear some real educated shooters....Range Lizards abound and I get to ride herd on all of them. Safety is first and foremost and then helping those that ask for it.

I've seen and heard so many things that will just curl your toes!!! Just shake my head and chuckle....The Bull gets real deep at times...

Randy

PS. Some day I think I will write a book called "Memoirs of a Range Officer that survived to tell about it!"